CTCAE
Pronunciation: see-tee-see-ay-EE
Also written as: CTCAE — Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events
Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, the standardized classification system for grading treatment-related toxicities in cancer care.
Full Definition
The Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) is a comprehensive grading system developed by the National Cancer Institute to standardize the classification and severity assessment of adverse events in cancer clinical trials and practice. CTCAE version 5.0 contains over 800 adverse event terms organized by organ system, with each term graded from 1 (mild) to 5 (death related to adverse event). In radiation oncology, CTCAE is used to systematically document and grade both acute and late radiation toxicities, enabling consistent reporting across institutions and studies. This standardization facilitates comparison of treatment outcomes and toxicity profiles between different radiation techniques and clinical trials.
Usage
Usage note: Always specify version number (e.g., CTCAE v5.0); has largely replaced older RTOG toxicity criteria.
In Context
- "Acute skin reaction was documented as CTCAE grade 2 dermatitis radiation after 30 Gy." — Weekly assessment note
- "The study protocol required CTCAE v5.0 for all toxicity reporting and analysis." — Clinical trial documentation